Z is for Z End!

(Spoiler Alert!)

Today, I want to talk about endings. We're ending the challenge (sigh of relief) after twenty-six long and exhausting days. So lets talk about that.

Movie endings. The best movie endings. I'm going to discuss five of my favorite (In no specific order):

(1) The Usual Suspects - Who actually is Keyser Söze? We all want to know. This elusive mastermind is revealed in the end in the most unusual and yet satisfying way.

(2) The Wizard of Oz - It's all a dream...sort of. Are you telling me all this time the scared lion was symbolic? We don't always pay attention to the subtleties of this children's tale (I mean, let's face it, it's about the shoes) but there is a lot we can learn from this brilliant film.

(3) Citizen Kane - Considered one of the greatest movies of all time, this movie is all about finding the secret to a great man--Rosebud. The ending reveals the meaning to us, just before it is lost.

(4) Fight Club - I will just say this, the ending is unexpected. I cant say more because...

The first rule of fight club is --
you don't talk about fight club. The
second rule of fight club is -- you
don't talk about fight club.

(5) Thelma and Louise - It's almost like watching a car wreck but you can't turn your eyes. Almost...or exactly. But, the scene stays with you.

What movie endings stayed with you? Came at you out-of-the-blue?

Y is for You

(I know I'm behind in my blog-visiting schedule but I promise to get to all of you today! I promise.)

You don't often read novels in second person. And why would you? It's like reading a manual for your car or your spouse from Venus (or is that Mars). It's just not natural, you say.

But are manual-novels so bad, you wonder?

You remember the good times you had setting up your toaster. Push down on the button, it said, and the toast would rise on it's own. You had so much fun buttering the reincarnated melba toast!

And you remember the hair-dryer. Your second-person manual told you not to use it near water. How you wished you had read the manual sooner. But oh, the stories you told of your near-fatal electrocutions are so worth it!

And Ikea. You remember setting up your BREDSKÄR and DOMSJÖ. How you followed those Latin-Sandscript-Hieroglyphs and created a fold-out sofa with only one 90 degree polygonal-shaped tool never ceased to amaze all your neighbours.

So what do you think? You up for it?

X is for X syndromes

You know most women have two X-chromosomes. Well, some women are born with XXX (3 X chromosomes), XXXX (4X) or even XXXXX (5X).

There are approximately 60 known females worldwide with this rare condition, although it is believed that there are probably many more who are undiagnosed.

More information about pentasomy X or 49,XXXXX:

Physical traits

XXXXX syndrome is associated with microcephaly (undersized skull), micrognathia (undersized jaw), and round face. The ears are generally low-set and malformed. Eyes are upslanting and show palpebral fissures, hypertelorism, and strabismus. Usually the nose is shaped with a broad and depressed nasal bridge and epicanthus, with the mouth having a cleft and highly arched palate, dental abnormalities, and thick, furrowed, and everted lips. The neck is webbed, much like the neck of a woman with Turner's syndrome.

Growth and development

XXXXX syndrome causes mental, growth, and motor retardation. There is occasional delayed puberty. Recent observations have indicated an average of a 10 to 15 IQ point decrease for each extra X chromosome. Thus, the average IQ of XXXXX individuals tends to be between 55 and 70.


Sources: http://www.genealogysource.com/tetra_x/information.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/49,_XXXXX

W is for What is America coming to?

I was watching the news this morning (The Daily Show with Jon Stewart) and I learned that FINALLY Obama showed the U.S. people his "long" birth certificate.  Thank goodness for the guy with the weird combover!

WHAT!?

I admit that I live in Mexico and it's often difficult to keep up with current events (mostly because real new is in Spanish) but seriously!? As far as I know, the US is in deep financial poop and only digging itself deeper, they are dealing with major natural disasters, Charlie Sheen has gone mad and is spreading across America, and lastly, people, we have a royal wedding coming up!

Don't politicians have better things to do? For instance, shouldn't they be: solving the oil crisis? finding a cure for cancer? building a fallout shelter for the impending change in Mayan calendar?

Someone tell me the truth: Have we all gone crazy and I just missed the bulletin?

V is for Velvet

Recently I was sent a ARC copy of Twisted Velvet Chains by Jessica Bell--a collection of various styles of poetry including haikus.

And I loved them all. I literally could not put it down and read it in one sitting.

However, this book is not for the faint of heart. If you looking for happy poems that make you want to skip around your backyard pond and sing naked. This book may not provide what you need. Well, the naked part maybe.

The book is written in four parts and throughout I hoped the end would be the light at the end of the tunnel, the happy ending. But I was wrong. And perhaps that's why it was so powerful. The book represents life--real life. Where there aren't always happily ever afters. There's just dealing and truth and understanding and forgiveness.

It's honest.

Brutally honest. There was a few occasions I asked, 'Would Jessica's family read this?' or 'Should I read this?' or 'Should I know this?' But, I realized the answer is yes. For the same reason I write fiction based on real life. For the same reason parts of me go into my books. For the same reason writers tell stories.

This book is available in July. Buy it. But read it on a sunny day...around your backyard pond...naked.

U is for Understanding Poetry

Read my poem.

But, why?

They're your words, from your heart.

Will I understand?

I've never before.

You read to understand.

But I don't understand.

You don't understand--

it's opening your understanding

of the world.

Just read it.

Don't stop.

Say the words aloud.

But I don't understand.

Shhh.

Read it again.

Do you feel it?

The beat, the rhythm?

The pattern

like cloth--smooth, silk

rolls off your skin, your tongue

soft, warm, cool, shivers

It's not your world

Step out of your box

Another's eyes

Another's world

Unique

Yet the same.

You understand.

That's understanding.

Poem by Clarissa the Callow Composer

T is for Thank You!

Today, I want to thank my editor.

THANK YOU, LIESEL!

This woman is amazing because she puts up with me. When she took on me and my book I'm sure she didn't expect (a) that I knew nothing about grammar and (b) that I knew nothing about grammar!

You see, if I knew, during my formative school years, that I was to be a writer, I think I would have paid more attention while they taught pronouns and antecedents, gerunds, and passive voice. But for some reason, I thought I would have a career that involved making out with boys and skipping class. A+

(Insert headdesk photo here)

So, she patiently puts up with me. She kindly adds a

where I'm sure she wants to add something like: 

"What the hell is this mess? Your readers are expecting a mystery in English. What's with this gibberish of misplaced modifiers and incorrect subject-verb agreement."

or

"Why is your character buying coffee, you moron? You just had your character...in the LAST PARAGRAPH... in pyjamas...in bed...in her bedroom!"

"And stop using all those bloody ellipses!"

(Insert another headdesk photo here)

So, to my lovely editor, I want to say this:

S is for Signs... Funny Signs

Popular dish of the Klingons

R is for Reclusive

Many writers are reclusive. Not all, but many.

Here's my take on why:

(1) Ever watch the movies of Narnia? Three (or so) children enter a wardrobe and find themselves in a new world. There they fight weird man-horses, sword-wielding rats and a haunting ice queen. Exhausting, right? They probably go back to "reality" and have a year-long nap! Well, I find writing to be the same. After spending hours in my imaginative worlds (fighting serial killers and complicated emotional issues and relationships) I don't want to deal with the "real" world.

(2) Also, eventually writers get sick of the same questions:

• Is this story based on your life?
• Is the story based on the life of (insert name of someone you've never heard of and would never write about) ?
• Why did you write about...?
• Is this (insert crazy and completely made up story here) about you? Did it happen to you?
• What are you going to be writing about next?
• You should read my story/give it to your publisher/talk to your agent about me. Will you?

I love this quote from Maclean Patrick :

I think this reclusive nature is born about the fact that most of our writings are done in the privacy of our thoughts. When writing, our world concaves and pulls inwards. We create a sphere of solitude, where our minds can explore without the ding of everyday sounds. It is a world we feel sheltered and safe in. And if you live in this world long enough, we carry it over to the real world via our quiet, introverted nature.

A recluse to the outside world but a normal citizen in the world of our writings.

Really Reclusive Riters: 

JD Salinger: In a conversation with a New York Times reporter, he explained: “There is a marvelous peace in not publishing. It’s peaceful. Still. Publishing is a terrible invasion of my privacy. I like to write. I love to write. But I write just for myself and my own pleasure… I pay for this kind of attitude. I’m known as a strange, aloof kind of man.”

Harper Lee: As she explained in a 1964 interview with author Roy Newquist:

“I never expected any sort of success with Mockingbird. I was hoping for a quick and merciful death at the hands of the reviewers but, at the same time, I sort of hoped someone would like it enough to give me encouragement. Public encouragement. I hoped for a little, as I said, but I got rather a whole lot, and in some ways this was just about as frightening as the quick, merciful death I’d expected.”

Emily Dickinson: is remembered as one of America’s greatest poets, but during her lifetime she was a notorious recluse, almost never leaving her house or even her bedroom. Dickinson grew up in Amherst, Massachusetts, and after spending a short time attending seminary at a nearby college, returned to her parents’ home until her death in 1886. She was considered to be something of an eccentric by her neighbors, as she almost never left her home and would only speak to visitors from behind her closed front door.

Source: here

Sources: 

A-Z Challenge: Quirks and Quips

What is a quirk?

Something your character says or does that is unusual but makes him/her unique.

What is a quip?

A clever, witty remark often prompted by the occasion. Or, a clever, often sarcastic remark; a gibe.

Yeah, so what? What should I do with that?

Make a list.
Seriously.
Buy a notebook. (You know you're looking for a reason to buy another one anyway.) Write down quirky things you see people do. Write down funny quips you hear people say or that you come up with yourself. When writing try to use them to make your characters unique and interesting.

Here's are some quirks you can add to your notebook:

(1) A man or woman must look in every mirror and wink at themselves.
(2) An older woman always puts ten items in her shopping basket but buys only two. Leaving the other eight sitting on boxes of gum or in her basket at the till.
(3) A man enjoys petting his leather shoes and mooing.
(4) A woman carries 100 keys but uses only one.
(5) A person must use two parking spaces to park his Mini.

Here are some quips take from this web site:

*If you think nobody cares . . . try missing a couple of payments
*An unbreakable toy is useful . . . for breaking other toys
*Lead me not into temptation . . . I can find my own way there.
*People took LSD to make the world weird . . . now they take Prozac to make it normal.
*A knight in shining armour can . . . turn out to be a retard in tin foil.

Mystery Writer's Guide To Forensic Science - Paternity Tests

This is day "P" in the A-Z Challenge.

PATERNITY TEST — DNA PROFILES

A DNA test profile is a set of DNA markers (up to 15) used to determine paternity and identity. A child will show two alleles (or variations values) per marker. One from the father and one from the mother.

In a paternity test, the analysis seeks matches of allele number values between the alleged father and child. Because the child must receive one STR allele from his father at all locations (or "loci" which is plural for locus), there should be matches for each marker. In some cases there are natural mutations, where the child has a slightly higher or lower value than the father.

It only takes two or three mismatches to exclude a person from being a father.

The father would be excluded because there are three different loci

Sources: http://www.dnatesting.com/dna-testing/paternity-test-results.php

O is for Obtuse

I used to be a sign language interpreter and you wouldn't believe the misconceptions behind deaf culture. When my son sent me this video, I had to share it with you.

N is for Normal?

Two days ago, I was driving down the street and saw a man kissing and tickling a little girl.

However, instead of thinking:

Ah, how cute.

or

How nice it is that a father is walking his girl to school.

I instantly thought:

God, I hope that's his kid!

How messed up is that!? I think the world is corrupting me. What used to be NORMAL, NICE behavior is now immediately perceived as messed up or wrong.

Here's another example: my husband has a habit of interacting with other-people's children at restaurants or shopping malls and I'm constantly telling him to cut it out or he'll be arrested for being a creep. (He's not a creep, BTW.)

And another: Remember when it cute for two friends (both being girls) to walk down the street holding hands? Now, we immediately assume everyone is gay!

How have you noticed the world's NORMs change?

M is for Mexico

I love Mexico, I really do. I love the culture and I love spicy salsa and tacos and pozole.

However there are few things about Mexico that drive me INSANE!

The first is the graffiti! I've seen people paint graffiti on houses that actually look good, they're creative! But then there are the scribbles that just make beautiful houses look stupid.

Second is topes.

In Canada we may have a tope (speedbump) or two in a parking lot or side street but highway? Every street? Come on, people!

Last, the trucks, cars, people on bikes that come around our house blaring messages on loud speakers that no one except dogs ( I assume dogs understand because they all bark in unison) can understand!

However, I do love our Bimbos!

Create your own graffiti here.

L is for Life

My formula for living is quite simple. I get up in the morning and I go to bed at night. In between, I occupy myself as best I can.
Cary Grant

How do you view life? Do you plan or do you just take everyday as it comes? Do you worry about the future?

Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_life3.html#ixzz1JRqxDEOG

A-Z Challenge: Kishōtenketsu

What is Kishōtenketsu?

Ki-shō-ten-ketsu describes the structure and development of Chinese and Japanese narratives with four parts.

• Ki: The first panel forms the basis of the story; it sets the scene.
• Shō: The second panel develops upon the foundation of the story laid down in the first panel.
• Ten: The third panel is the climax or twist, in which an unforeseen development occurs.
• Ketsu: The fourth panel is the conclusion, in which the effects of the third panel are seen.

In the cartoon to the right, (1) the scene is set. A man and woman are stranded and finally they see a car. (2) They flag down the car. (3) A twist! The car is actually being pushed! (4) They three people are now pushing the car.

Source: Wikipedia and le-mime
Picture Source: here

Mystery Writer's Guide To Forensic Science - Jack the Ripper

This is day "J" in the A-Z Challenge.

JACK THE RIPPER

This serial killer is considered one of the first and what makes him even more spectacular is that he was never caught.

He killed in the Whitechapel district of London in the year 1888.

There are now over one hundred theories about the Ripper's identity, and the murders have inspired multiple works of fiction. Below is a documentary (one of many) on this killer. You don't have to watch it, but answer me this: Which serial killer intrigues you the most? Real or fiction.

Ian Rankin's Watchman

WATCHMAN
Writer: Ian Rankin
Challenge: Mystery and Suspense Challenge 2011

Kindle: here
Genre: Thriller/Spy

How I read it: Paperback

Synopsis: Miles Flint has been a successful middle manager in the shadowy ranks of British intelligence until recent mistakes, including a botched surveillance of an Arab assassin, put his career and reputation in jeopardy. Suspecting that the killer evaded him because of a tip from one of his own, Miles launches his own mole hunt, casting himself in a role that's uncomfortably active for him—especially as his search leads back to his wife, Sheila. And Miles's doings seemingly strike a nerve within the organization, getting him dispatched on a perilous IRA bombing-related mission. Rankin creates plausible and fascinating characters in a manner that seems effortless (as in Miles's tic of comparing people to different kinds of beetles).

My Thoughts: This is my first Ian Rankin book and I wasn't impressed. I know it's one of his first books and I really loved the synopsis so I wanted to love it, but I didn't.

The first part of the book was slow and constant POV changes often made it difficult to understand. However, the last third of the book was exciting. Although not totally believable, I read it for the enjoyment of the chase.

Will I read another Rankin? Of course! I haven't even touched his Rebus series. I have to give it a chance. I think for spy novels I'm going to try Carre.

H is for Headache

I want all my posts to be cheery but I've been suffering from headaches this week. I think it has to do with the weather. It's been nearing 40 degrees centigrade/ 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

So, here are a couple of headache jokes:

If you have a lot of tension and you get headaches, do what
it says on the aspirin bottle:
"Take two and keep away from children." 

A husband walks into the bedroom holding two aspirin and a glass of water.
His wife asks, "What's that for?" "It's for your headache." "I don't have a headache."
He replies, "Gotcha!"

G is for Gardner, Sierra Gardner

Last week, Sierra from Sierra's Writing Adventure featured me on her blog. How nice!
Well, let me tell you about this fellow mystery writer...

This is Sierra kissing something...

She's a microbiologist thriller writer. That means, not only can she think up all the worst-case deadly-disease-wipes-out-human-population scenarios, she knows how to do it as well.

Also, she crochets these cute little earrings. (see below) I love crochet!

Cute crochet earring (like I said before)

Anyway, check out her cool blog! Here are some of the posts she has written:

What makes a good thriller?

Put humor in your writing.

Why writing is like a mullet.

Trends in Science

F is for Fast and Fun Folding-story!

I don't know about you, but the A-Z challenge is challenging! I'm exhausted. So, an easy post. Remember, keep your answers short (five words or less each question).


1. Favorite character in a novel:
2. Decade you were born (i.e. in the roaring twenties):
3. Craziest thing you've done (i.e. bungee jumped, escaped prison):
3. Where you wish you could live (i.e in France, in a submarine):
4. Best excuse your significant other, friend or family has given for being late (because he was abducted by aliens):
5: Best line from a movie or book: (This does not have to be five words.)

A-Z Challenge: Exposition Examination

First of all, what is exposition?

Within the context of fiction, exposition is the fiction-writing mode for conveying information. It can be emotional information or ideas.

Sounds easy, why is it a problem?

According to Robert Kernen, "Exposition can be one of the most effective ways of creating and increasing the drama in your story. It can also be the quickest way to kill a plot's momentum and get your story bogged down in detail. Too much exposition, or too much at one time, can seriously derail a story and be frustrating to the reader or viewer eager for a story to either get moving or move on."

Many writers use exposition to restate what has already happened...the obvious. Boring! So our eyes end up skimming the pages.

How can we add excitement to our exposition?

Nothing adds tension like conflict. Be it internal feelings or conflicting ideas.

One book that does this well is North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell. Anyone who as read this book knows it's filled with pages and pages of exposition and yes, I admit I skimmed a great deal of it. However, some of the exposition she did well. Notice how long the exposition is, but the tension, the feeling, the angst comes across so well.

Click to enlarge

How to do it:

(1) Think about what the character is feeling primarily in the scene and write the opposite emotion.
(2) Think about what a character is thing about and write down a conflicting idea.
(3) Raise unanswered questions.
(4) Add new worries.

Source: Wikipedia
The Fire in Fiction

Mystery Writer's Guide To Forensic Science - DNA Profiling

Read this --> This is day "D" in the A-Z Challenge. It's an interesting though complex subject. I know most read my blog even though they will never use the information found here so if you don't feel like reading the stuff below (and don't worry, I won't be insulted, it's for reference only), I want to know this: What is your favorite show on TV this year? I can be drama or comedy or whatever.


For the most part, humans are made up of similar genomes or genetic materials but parts of this genome varies between individuals. However, some noncoding regions reveals repeated units that vary in length among individuals. One particular type of repeat, known as a short tandem repeat (STR), is relatively easily measured and compared between different individuals. In fact, the FBI has identified 13 core STR loci (in the UK, 10) that are now routinely used.

Without getting too complicated, when a crime is committed and DNA is collected, the DNA is entered into a database and compared with samples collected from suspects.

What is CODIS and NDNAD?

In the United States, CODIS is a distributed database that is organized into three hierarchical levels: local, state, and national. All three levels store indexed and searchable digitized representations of typed DNA samples. The hierarchical design allows state and local laboratories to configure CODIS to meet their specific needs.

In the UK, the UK National Criminal Intelligence DNA Database is a national DNA Database that was set up in 1995. As of the end of 2005, it carried the profiles of around 3.1 million people. The database, which grows by 30,000 samples each month, is populated by samples recovered from crime scenes and taken from police suspects and, in England and Wales, anyone arrested and detained at a police station.

Here's an example:

Which suspect matches?

Is the system perfect?

No. Often the DNA collected at a crime scene is small or degraded and not all 13 (10) STR loci can be examined. Because forensics is a science largely rooted in probabilities, even a confirmed "match" does not supply concrete proof of guilt.

Source: Wikipedia
http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/forensics-dna-fingerprinting-and-codis-736

C is for Clarkson

That's right, I said it, Jeremy Clarkson. I love that man. And James May. And the short one. But today is the letter C so it's Clarkson day.

Why do I love this guy?

Well, he's not afraid to speak his mind, he's completely politically incorrect, and he's funny too. I recently picked up his book on Kindle. It's a collection of his 'World According to Clarkson' from his Sunday Times weekly column. Laugh out loud! Rolling on the floor laughing! (I wish they would make acronyms for these expressions!)

I first started enjoying the wit of this man from watching Top Gear. I'm a Top Gear fanatic! I've seen every episode from 2002 (all 16 series including the specials--the Bolivia special is my favourite). Why!? Because I love cars. Oh, another C word.

Especially the...

*sigh*

and...

Fiesta being chased by baddies!

and this...

 Oh wait, that's not a car. Never mind.

Picture source: here, here, and maybe here

B is for Blogfest: Memory Lane

Vicki at Rambles & Randomness is taking us back--along Memory Lane.

• When did you start your blog?
  I had to go back and look at my records. But guess what, it's been almost a year. I started April 17, 2010!
• What is first denomination (price) of postage stamp you remember?
  What's a postage stamp? Do you know how long it's been since I've sent something by post? I'll go with $.25 cents but honestly, I have no idea.
  
• How old were you  when you learned to ride a bike?
  I still can't ride a bike!
• What was the first concert you attended without parental supervision?
  Barenaked Ladies in Calgary! Woot, Woot!
• How old were you when you got your first kiss?
  Twelve-ish. I do remember a time in grade eight or nine when one of my friends (a really nice guy) asked me to date him. I think he asked me out on a daily basis but I always said no. One day--and I can't really remember the reason why--I finally said yes. I remember hiding the rest of the day because it was the worst mistake of my life. I didn't like him that way! Anyway, he finally found me hiding between shelves in the school library and asked me what was wrong. What was I to do? I just gave him a kiss and broke his heart. *sigh* He was the beginning of a long list of men whose hearts I've crushed.
• What is your earliest memory?
  I don't remember much before I was twelve (if anything--I'm not sure they're real memories or not) but what I do remember (or think I remember) I don't discuss. Let's just say the kissing thing. Happy thoughts!

A is from Alliterative Allomorph to Anne R. Allen!

I've seen this video all over the blogisphere this week but because this is 'A' day, I thought it was a great day to feature Alliterative Allomorph Jessica Bell's new Book Trailer.




Now, on to some short stories I've read this week!

Here are seven more from the book Genre Wars (download this book for $3.00--it goes to charity):

(1) Title: Napoleon's Boots
Author: Donna Thorland
Genre: Crime/Horror
Thoughts: The author has a strong voice and at first I wasn't sure it was crime or horror but in the end, the crime came through. A mixture of suspense, creepiness, and mystery.

(2) Title: LLAC EMIT DOOG A ROF
Author: Jason King
Genre: Experiment Genre Winner
Thoughts: IT IS BRILLIANT!!TNAILLIRB SI TII had to read this one multiple times to understand it but every time I read, it became more powerful. I won't give away the story but the POV is different.

(3) Title: Luminescence
Author: Susan James
Genre: Romance Genre Winner
Thoughts: I wasn't expecting the ending. I thought at first this would be another typical romance with humor but I did like the ending.

(4) Title: My Family Goes For Ice Cream

Author: Robbin Taylor

Genre: YA/MG
Thoughts: At first I didn't like this story. I didn't relate to the MC and I kept wanting to roll my eyes. However, the writer does capture the feelings a typical teenager. And while you think it's the story of a family outing, a lot does happen.

(5) Title: Goldilocks is No Fairytale Princess

Author: Susannah Elisabeth Pabot

Genre: Experimental
Thoughts: Another story that I had to read multiple times and even now, I'm not sure I fully understand. However, what I do understand has a lot of meaning. The title sums up the story nicely.

(6) Title: The Best Medicine
Author: C.N. Nevets

Genre: Literary Fiction
Thoughts: I love this writer! I read his thought-provoking blogs everyday. This is one of his short stories about a very sad subject...(hmm, most of what CN writes is sad or morbid). It's about true feelings, wanting to fit in, wanting to be noticed, it's about laughing and being laughed at.

(7) Title: The Big Ones

Author: Anne R. Allen

Genre: Fantasy
Thoughts: Anne, this is an amazing story! This story touches on life after a large earthquake hit California. With all the tragic events of late, this story may actually come true. Scary!

If you haven't bought this book, you should. Not only to support new authors but the proceeds support charity.